I believe Virat and Rohit have a lot of cricket left in them – Harbhajan Singh

As Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both have announced farewell from the shortest format of the game in the international circuit, it has opened up more scope of them playing the longer formats with more rest on offer.

However, one of the key questions that is circling around in the Indian cricket circuit is how long can these two play, and if the 2027 ODI World Cup is still on their agenda.

Talking to news agency PTI, Harbhajan Singh clarified that the two stalwarts of Indian cricket still have lots to offer and ideally can give any 19-year-old a run for his money.

Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were a part of the ODI series against Sri Lanka and with the Indian captain showing why he is still deemed as one of the finest openers in world cricket, discussions again soared through the roof about their availability for the next ODI World Cup.

Harbhajan said, “Rohit can easily play for two more years. You never know with Virat Kohli’s fitness, you can see him competing for five years. He is probably the fittest guy in the team.”

He further added, “You ask any 19-year-old competing with Virat (on fitness). Virat will beat him. He is that fit. I believe Virat and Rohit have a lot of cricket left in them and it is entirely up to them. If they are fit enough, they are performing and the team is winning, they should continue to play. As simple as that.”

He concluded with a note for the selectors, stating, “Red ball cricket, you really need these two guys to play a little bit more than what people are asking. You need experience in all formats whether its limited overs cricket and Test cricket. You need experienced cricketers to nurture the talent that is coming up. Selectors need to see, that if someone is not performing well, they should be dropped. Whether they are senior player or juniors. But as long as everyone is fit, they should be able to get selected in the team.”

Will Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli play 2027 ODI World Cup? Harbhajan Singh reveals till when the India stars will play

Indian batting stalwarts Virat kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma recently announced their retirement from the T20I format.

The pair successfully clinched the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 title with the Indian team in Barbados, following which both announced their decision to hang up their boots from the shorter format of the game.

Both senior players are slowly approaching their final years of international cricket careers, and fans might have to witness the inevitable soon.

The duo also came close to clinching the ODI World Cup title in 2023, however, they were defied by the resilient mentality of the Aussies, as they defeated the Men in Blue by six wickets in the final at Ahmedabad.

Virat and Rohit ended up as the top scorer and the second top-scorer of the competition respectively, but were unable to lift the cup in front of the home fans. Many have speculated the night in Ahmedabad was their final World Cup match in the Indian jersey.

However, former Indian spinner, Harbhajan Singh believes that both the batters are more than capable of stretching themselves physically and mentally to reach the next edition of the competition in 2027 in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Harbhajan Singh on Rohit and Virat’s participation in ODI World Cup 2027

Talking to PTI Videos, Harbhajan revealed that he strongly believes that Rohit and Virat can easily feature in the 2027 ODI World Cup. Harbhajan stated that Rohit can easily play for two more years, while Virat’s terrific fitness might allow him to play for more than five years.

Rohit can easily play for two more years. You never know with Virat Kohli’s fitness, you can see him competing for five years. He is probably the fittest guy in the team. You ask any 19-year-old competing with Virat (on fitness).

Virat will beat him. He is that fit. I believe Virat and Rohit have a lot of cricket left in them and it is entirely up to them. If they are fit enough, they are performing and the team is winning, they should continue to play. As simple as that

Further talking about their importance and significance in red-ball cricket, Harbhajan explained that the two need to continue in Test cricket for longer than people think. Their immense experience and presence in the team are a huge asset to the Indian team.

Nevertheless, Harbhajan also understands the two are reaching the end of their career, and if they are not able to contribute towards the betterment of the team, they should make way for upcoming youngsters.

He also acknowledged that the upcoming youngsters are much more hungry than the senior players since they are yet to establish themselves.

I always believe that youngsters have much more hunger than the seniors. If you play for 15 years your hunger a little bit comes down. Great to see Riyan Parag getting the opportunities and the way Yashasvi Jaiswal is coming up and Shubman Gill is playing.

He also commented on India’s recent ODI series loss in Sri Lanka, crediting Sanath Jayasuriya’s team for their brilliant performances in the three-match series.